Eighth grade is the end of the races for middle school. Kids are usually 'too cool for school' and need an extra guiding hand to reign them in. In the North Carolina Standard Course of Study there is nothing short of a large road map that guides the students to meet standards to make them productive North Carolinians.

Main emphasis for eighth grades is:
Expression
Understanding and use of argument (productive argument)
Analyzing print and non-print communication
Sentence contruction
Evaluating a wide range of literature

The NC Standard Course of Study for the 8th grade has 6 Main Comptency goals with many objectives beneath them.
NC standard course of study

National Standards are very important to know in the instance of teaching in another state
National Standards

Goal 1: Learner will use language to analyze personal, social, cultural, and hitorical issues

*1.01- talk about a personal experience which remembers feelings, connects, events to self/society, sharpens focus
*1.02- analyze expressive materials by reviewing characteristics, taking an active role in talks, comprehension of what is read, generating a journal of reactions
*1.03- Interact in groups, express opionions, asks classmates for expansion on responses
*1.04- reflect on learning experiences, evaluate personal circumstances, see changes in self through out the learning process

Goal 2: Learner will learn and use from a variety of resources
*2.01- Analyze and evaluate information on materials,extend ideas, generating questions
*2.02- Use multiple sources of print and nonprint to explore and create research projects

Goal 3: Learner will refine understanding and use of argument
*3.01- Explore and evalute argumentative works, recongnize the effects of bias, evalute author's purpose, make connections between works
*3.02- Explore problem-solution process, contruct presentations that respond to a problem
*3.03- Create arguments that persuade, arrange details, reasons, and examples, anticipate and address reader/listener concerns

Goal 4: Learner will refine critical thinking skills and evaluate print and nonprint materials
*4.01- Analyze purpose of the author, evalute effects of author's craft on the reader, moniter understanding
*4.02- Develop (with limited assistance) and apply appropriate criteria to evaluate quality of communication, draw conclusions
*4.03- Use the stance of a critic to consider alternative points, open to other interpretations, create critical responses

Goal 5: Learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes
*5.01- Increase fluency, comprehension, using effective reading strategies,take active role in class seminars
*5.-2- Study characteristics of literary genres (fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry), read variety of literature, impact of literature

Goal 6: Learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage
*6.01- Model understanding of conventional written and spoken expression, apply parts of speech, extend vocabulary by learning new words
*6.02- Continue to identify and edit errors in spoken and written English, self correcting errors, using correct spelling of words